Thailand under curfew amid coup

Thailand's military has seized power in a bloodless coup, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and dispersing groups of protesters from both sides of the country's political divide who had gathered in Bangkok and raised fears of a violent showdown.

Thai soldiers stand guard at the gate to the army club in Bangkok (AP)A Buddhist monk walks past a Thai soldier in the outskirts of Bangkok (AP)Thai soldiers unload equipments from a truck while providing security near the pro-government demonstration site in the outskirts of Bangkok (AP)

Thailand's military has seized power in a bloodless coup, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and dispersing groups of protesters from both sides of the country's political divide who had gathered in Bangkok and raised fears of a violent showdown.

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Thailand under curfew amid coup

Independent.ie

Thailand's military has seized power in a bloodless coup, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and dispersing groups of protesters from both sides of the country's political divide who had gathered in Bangkok and raised fears of a violent showdown.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha announced the military takeover in a statement broadcast on national television. It was followed by additional announcements including a nationwide curfew from 10pm to 5am and an order for top government officials - including the ousted prime minister - to report immediately to the country's new governing military commission.

There was no immediate sign of soldiers patrolling central Bangkok, but troops dispersed the two protest sites where competing groups were camped out - one backing the ousted government and one that had struggled for six months to unseat it. There were no signs of resistance or reports of violence.

Long queues formed at the city's elevated train and subway stations as panicked office workers tried to rush home before the curfew.

Flanked by the heads of the armed forces, Gen Prayuth said the coup was launched "to quickly bring the situation back to normal, to let the people have love and unity as in the past, and to reform the political and economic systems - and to grant equality to every side".

An army spokesman later announced that it had dissolved the caretaker government and suspended the constitution, but that the Senate would remain in place.

The pivotal developments came after Gen Prayuth had declared martial law on Tuesday in what he called a bid to resolve the crisis, and a day later summoned the country's rival political leaders for face-to-face talks. After two days of talks, the meeting failed to break the impasse.

Shortly before the announcement was made, armed soldiers in military vehicles surrounded the military facility where the politicians were meeting, apparently to block those inside from leaving.

Many of the country's highest-profile figures were summoned for the meeting. They included the acting prime minister - who sent four cabinet ministers in his place - and anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, as well as Mr Suthep's rival from the pro-government Red Shirt group, Jatuporn Prompan. Reporters at the meeting said Mr Suthep and Mr Jatuporn were escorted out of the meeting by soldiers.

A government official, Paradorn Pattanathabutr, contacted shortly after the announcement said the four ministers attending the meeting were still being held by the military.

"The rest of us who are outside are still fine and in the safe places. However, the situation is very worrying. We have to monitor it closely and don't know what else can happen," he said.

Thailand has been gripped by bouts of political instability for more than seven years.

The latest round of unrest started in November, when demonstrators took to the streets to try to force PM Yingluck Shinawatra to step down. They accused her of being a proxy for her popular billionaire brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail sentence on a corruption conviction.

The coup is the 12th since the country's absolute monarchy ended in 1932. The military was widely viewed as sympathetic to the protesters seeking to oust the current government.

"We ask the public not to panic and to carry on their lives normally," Gen Prayuth said. "And civil servants stay in every ministry, carry on your responsibilities as normal."

The army chief said the military would "provide protection" for foreigners in Thailand.

The military has ordered the suspension of all television broadcasting, and replaced programming with patriotic music to fill air time between its announcements.

CNN, BBC and other cable news channels were also taken off the air.

Pinkaew Pipatada, 65, a flower vendor at the Erawan shrine, a popular tourist site in central Bangkok, said: "I hope the soldiers have come out this time to solve the problem once and for all. This is the fourth coup I've seen in my life now."